Assuming the email included in the link is correct, the email was sent to Romanoff on September 11th, 2009.
Obama nominated the current Director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), Leocadia I. Zak, in November 2009-—2 months after the alleged email was sent. She had been the Acting Director since Jan. 21, 2009 before being officially nominated as Director in Nov. 2009. So, there was a period of time in which the White House could have approached Romanoff about the vacant Director of USTDA position.
http://www.ustda.gov/about/bios/zakbio.asp
It doesn't say anything in Mizz Zak's bio about her running for office but I have to wonder. I wonder what a little look-back into the recent history of all of Barry0's appointments would turn up. How many were running for office and dropped out of their races?